Equilibrium
by comptine
Summary: Zutara. Her Balance was of Moon and Ocean. Two koi circling in an endless circle of Push and Pull. His Balance was of Blue and Red. The dragons forever intertwined in a dance of Lies and Truth. When opposites collide you reach a state of equilibrium.


**Equilibrium**

-

"Katara! Zuko! C'mon! Ozai is getting away!" The Blind Bandit calls over her shoulder as the Fire Lord disappears down a corridor. Sokka is already chasing after him, his meteorite sword chipped in places from the long hours of battling.

Something moves in the corner of his eyes and he stops in mid-step. His sister appears from the shadows, amber eyes glinting in the fire of war. "Zu-zu, going after father are you? Seems like something you'd do. You always were one for revenge. I can't imagine what you'll do when you find out what our dear father did to his brother." Azula smiles victoriously as she sees Zuko's face fall. "Oh didn't you know? General Iroh was executed last week. Too bad you couldn't have been there, I'm sure he would've loved to see your betraying face again." With that she runs down a hall.

Zuko stands between the two entrances, torn between them. Gritting his teeth me makes a move towards the tunnel his sister went down until a voice calls out to him, halting him for a second time.

"Zuko! Where are you going?!" She yells her desperation barely veiled. A badly burnt hand reaches for him. Her fingers interlock with his, forcing him to turn and face her.

Her tanned skin was a dusty rose in spots where firebenders had left their mark. Her normally spotless tunic was burnt so that only the top remained. Her brown hair is covered in soot and dirt, hanging and sticking to her face thanks to sweat.

It was her eyes that caught his attention. Even after hours of battle they still shined. They normally glowed with fierce determination or contentment but as he watches them he sees a passion in them only a warrior can feel in the heat of battle. She is anything but the damsel in distress she had been when he first met her.

-

_Her Balance was of Moon and Ocean. Two koi circling in an endless circle of Push and Pull._

-

Prince Zuko tries to keep his voice calm, for the waterbender's sake as much as his own. "I'm going to fight Azula."

All around them battle rages. Earthbenders use stone to protect themselves from fire. The Freedom Fighters are fighting with anything they can lay their hands on. Even with the help of nighttime and the full moon their small rebel group could not break the ranks of the soldiers.

She has already seen friends fall to the Fire Nation. Aang. Hakoda. Jet. Her mother. She has had enough and in that single moment a decision is made.

-

_His Balance was of Blue and Red. The dragons forever intertwined in a dance of Lies and Truth._

-

"I'm coming with you." Without any hesitation she wraps her arms around his shoulders. Her head rests against his chest, warm breath tickles her hair. The close contact catches him off guard; she was normally very wary towards him when it came to physical gestures. In the end he sighs, knowing that anything he will say will not change her mind. Carefully he places his hands on her waist, drawing her close.

-

_Her Eyes glowed with cool ocean._

-

A blood-curdling scream pieces the air. Another life has been taken. The embrace is broken once they return to the cruel reality of war.

"It's this way," he says, running down a side corridor. Katara follows behind, her hand never leaving her waterskin. The padding of their feet soon is only sound they can hear besides their own sharp breathing.

They run by windows and Katara spares a glance out one of them. She can see towers of flames burning so high and strong they outshine the stars. The ocean reflects the fire, creating the illusion that the stars have simply fallen from the sky into the dark water. The moon remains no matter how brightly the flames blaze, almost as if to comfort her.

-

_His Eyes glowed with molten gold._

-

A large set of double doors meets them at the end of the hallway. The doors were a dark burgundy while five dragons were engraved on the doors. Each is shining with a different shade of royal gold in the low torchlight. These guardians seem to stare right through Katara, daring to her to enter their den.

She looks to Zuko for support and receives a curt not. They take a deep breath then burst in.

There Azula sits, draped over the throne, obviously waiting for them, her nails clicking of the arms of the golden throne, "Oh Zu-zu, I was wondering if you would ever show up." Her eyes alighted upon his companion, "And this is…Katara right? The one you left Mai for. She's quite pretty, to bad your romance is going to be short lived. You see my dear, sweet, brother, I am going to kill you here and now." She pulls herself to her feet during her short speech.

-

_Her Mentor was ruthless, forcing her to become the Puppetmaster._

-

Katara makes the first move. The water flies from the waterskin, hardening into icicles. Azula reacts quickly, her hand flying up trailed with blue flames. Steam hisses in place of the icicles. Katara takes a moment to gather water from the air. Zuko runs forward, his hands already burning. He punches for his sister's face. Her armoured forearm dissipates the fire. His left hand jabs for her stomach.

-

_His Mentor was caring, helping the Prince find his true self._

-

Azula jumps back, narrowly avoiding the flames. She smiles savagely and blue fire blooms at her fingers. Zuko pulls his hands into a guard position. For a second they square off, neither breathing in the anticipation of a final, deciding battle.

A crescent kick grazes his chest, knocking his hands away. He sees his sister's eyes for a moment. Feral, the hunter closing in on prey. The next kick catches his scar. He flies back, sliding on the ground. His head contacts the floor with a sickening _**crunch**_.

He does not rise again

-

_She was Yin, pure, untouched white._

-

Azula doesn't have time to gloat. A shimmer to her right catches her eye and she barely avoids a dragon as it speeds towards her.

Katara has mastered the dragon; water ripples in place of scales and ice diamonds shine in place of eyes. The dragon slithers forward; Katara riding on it's back. Azula attempts to summon her own beast but the water serpent is too quick. With the side of its head it knocks Azula aside. Unlike her brother Azula does not slide but soars. She slams into the wall, which crumbles around her, leaving her imprint. Azula falls to the ground in a heap, no more now than a doll broken by a violent child.

The Healer has bested the Princess.

-

_He was Yang, broken, impure black._

-

The dragon falls apart, becoming nothing more than a giant puddle on the floor as Katara runs for Zuko. He is grumbling into the conscious world when she reaches his side. The world swims in front of his eyes and his stomach threatens to regurgitate itself.

"Are you alright?" She left him into a sitting position. He groans and rubs his head. "I'll take that is a 'yes'."

Zuko shakes his head, trying to rid it of the pounding pain, but only worsens it. He looks up, about to pass out from pain. His mouth forms the warning as what he sees grow larger. "Watch out!"

-

_Her Power was of raw talent and unfettered genius._

-

Azula is in the air, lighting dancing in her claws. The amber eyes focus on the blue of the waterbender and lightning surges towards Katara. She is frozen, from fear or disbelief, it is impossible to tell.

-

_His Power was of constant discipline and years of struggle._

-

As time seemed to grind to a halt she feels a hand press against her shoulder. Agonizingly slow she turns to see his eyes. They were open and she could see her own surprised face reflected in them. Her mouth opens to cry out but Zuko doesn't have time to listen.

The lightning finally hits.

Pain so fierce he feels as though his eyeballs will pop out of his head bolts through his being. He wants to cry out in agony but he has lost control of his own body. The lightning courses through his feeling, pinching, tearing every nerve. His muscles spasm, unable to control the electricity surging through them. His heart flutters like a dying bird as the blue skyfire finds his center.

-

_Her Gift was of the Moon._

-

Katara doesn't pause. A scream tears her throat and the full moon glows bright in the war-torn night. Azula's blood is no longer her own. The waterbender's clawed hands force the Princess to remain suspended in the air.

Azula cannot comprehend what is going on. She was always in control of the situation but here a simple peasant girl was in control. A scream of panic is trapped in Azula's mouth as she fails to regain influence of her body.

Katara considers her puppet for a moment. She has never felt control like this. Pure power battles her morality. Once she realizes that she has become what she detested, what she feared, she throws Azula away.

The pure emotion coursing through the waterbender was enough to breech the wall. Azula falls from the Palace into the awaiting jaws of the rocky shore. Katara hears the _crack_ of bones on stone.

The feeling that had risen in Katara so quickly fades the minute she sees the Prince on the floor, gasping for life.

-

_His Gift was of the Sun._

-

Lightning is still dancing through Zuko as Katara runs for him. He hears her scream his name and he can't think of a more beautiful sound.

"Please no!" arms wrap around him. He thinks of his mother. This is exactly how she held him, the same feeling of protection washes over him.

The world grows lighter and the pain departs as the lightning escapes from his body. Its image is still burned into his eyes, scarring him more deeply than his father's lesson had, "Zuko! Please talk!" The healer is frantic. Tears blur her eyes. She was always the first one to cry, no matter how hard she tried to be strong.

He knew the goodbye was going to be hard. Zuko forces his eyelashes apart. One last time he saw her face.

His gaze catches hers for one infinitesimal second.

The Balances collide. Blue. Red. Push. Pull. Sun. Moon. Fire. Water.

She knows.

He knows.

They share a smile.

He parts to the Spirit World, to forever wait for his other half.

-

_Two lovers forbidden from one another_

_A war divides their people..._

* * *

Author's Note

That took an unbelievable amount of work...Six rough copies, edited by lots of people.

Anyway, this is an entry for Neurosylum's (on deviantArt) contest. She drew a picture and you had to base a oneshot off it...

So here's my entry! Wish me luck!


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